JP7412041B2 - unmanned aircraft control system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an unmanned aircraft control system that allows an unmanned aircraft such as a drone to fly and performs various tasks.

Applications of unmanned aerial vehicles called drones are progressing. One of its important application fields is the application of chemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers to farmland (fields). In Japan, where farmland is smaller than in Europe and the United States, it is often appropriate to use drones rather than manned airplanes or helicopters (for example, see Patent Document 1).

JP 2019-46272 Publication

When each of a plurality of unmanned aircraft is flying autonomously, an unexpected person, vehicle, etc. may enter the area below the unmanned aircraft. In such a case, if the unmanned aircraft falls due to a malfunction or the like, there is a risk that it will collide with a person, vehicle, etc. that has entered the area, causing an accident. Furthermore, when an unmanned aerial vehicle is spraying pesticides or other substances from above to an area below, it is undesirable for the substances to fall on people, vehicles, etc. entering the area.

In such cases, it is preferable to switch the operating mode of the unmanned aircraft from autonomous flight mode to manual pilot mode. This is because by performing this switching, the user can instruct the unmanned aircraft to stop moving, land, stop dispersing materials, etc., depending on the situation, and avoid accidents.

However, multiple unmanned aircraft may fly autonomously over one area at the same time. For example, when using an unmanned aerial vehicle to spray pesticides, fertilizers, or other substances on farmland (fields), or when using a camera to photograph the growth status of crops planted on farmland, multiple drones with different roles may be used. This is the case when unmanned aerial vehicles are flown simultaneously, or when multiple unmanned aerial vehicles with the same role are flown between the flight routes of other unmanned aerial vehicles. In these cases, the predetermined work can be completed in a short time. However, in these cases, multiple unmanned aircraft fly autonomously over one area at the same time while maintaining a distance from each other that prevents them from colliding with each other.

In this situation where multiple unmanned aircraft are flying autonomously, if an unexpected person, vehicle, etc. approaches the area below them, the user will not be able to manually control multiple unmanned aircraft at the same time. .

As disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is also conceivable to make an emergency landing of all unmanned aircraft. However, in some cases, an unmanned aircraft that makes an emergency landing may collide with a person or vehicle that enters the area. Additionally, it is generally unlikely that all of the multiple unmanned aerial vehicles will cause damage to people or vehicles that enter the area. Therefore, it is not always the best idea to make an emergency landing of all unmanned aircraft.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a means for easily selecting an unmanned aircraft to be manually operated from among a plurality of unmanned aircraft in autonomous flight.

An unmanned aircraft control system according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a plurality of unmanned aircraft flying simultaneously over a target area; and a transmitting means for transmitting a selection signal to an unmanned aircraft selected from the plurality of unmanned aircraft. An unmanned aircraft control system comprising: a receiving means for receiving the selection signal; and a notification means for providing notification by at least one of emitting light, displaying characters, and pronunciation of sounds. , notification control means for causing the notification means to perform notification when the receiving means receives the selection signal.

An unmanned aircraft control system according to another aspect of the present invention includes: a plurality of unmanned aircraft flying simultaneously over a target area; and a transmitting means for transmitting a selection signal indicating an unmanned aircraft selected from the plurality of unmanned aircraft. An unmanned aircraft control system comprising: a receiving means for receiving the selection signal; and a notification for providing notification by at least one of emitting light, displaying characters, and pronunciation of sounds. and notification control means for causing the notification unit to issue a notification when the receiving unit receives the selection signal indicating selection of an unmanned aircraft including the device.

An unmanned aircraft control system according to still another aspect of the present invention includes a wave transmitting means for transmitting directional radio waves or light in a direction aimed by a user, and the radio wave or the light transmitted from the wave transmitting means. An unmanned aircraft control system comprising: a plurality of unmanned aircraft that simultaneously fly over a target area; and a notification control unit that causes the notification unit to issue a notification when the reception unit receives the radio wave or the light.

1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an unmanned aircraft control system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure showing the composition of the drone in the same embodiment. It is a diagram showing the configuration of the same drone. It is a diagram showing the configuration of the same drone. It is a diagram showing the configuration of the same drone. It is a diagram showing the configuration of the same drone. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the drone. It is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a data processing device in the same drone. It is a block diagram showing the composition of the operation terminal device in the same embodiment. It is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the CPU of the same operation terminal device. It is a flowchart showing the operation of the same operation terminal device. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of the touch panel of the same operation terminal device. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of the touch panel of the same operation terminal device. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of the touch panel of the same operation terminal device. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of the touch panel of the same operation terminal device. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of the touch panel of the same operation terminal device. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of an unmanned aircraft control system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. All figures are illustrative. In the detailed description that follows, for purposes of explanation, certain specific details are set forth to facilitate a thorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments. However, embodiments are not limited to these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown schematically in order to simplify the drawings.

<First embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an unmanned aircraft control system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The farm field 403 (an example of a target area) is a farmland such as a rice field or a field where agricultural crops are planted. Base station 404 has a function as an RTK-GPS base station. The operating terminal device 401 is a terminal operated by a user 402, and communicates with the drones 100a to 100d or the server 405 via a network (for example, a mobile communication network). The user 402 is, for example, a farmer. The operation terminal device 401 controls the operation of the drone 100 by communicating with the drones 100a, 100b, 100c, and 100d (hereinafter collectively referred to as the drone 100 when there is no need to distinguish between each of these drones). Take control. This operation terminal device 401 may be realized by a portable information device such as a general tablet terminal that executes a computer program.

Each of the drones 100 (an example of a plurality of unmanned aircraft flying simultaneously over a target area) operates in either an autonomous flight mode or a manual operation mode under the control of an operation terminal device 401. Specifically, in the autonomous flight mode, each of the drones 100 takes off from a base (not shown) outside the farm field 403 according to an individual flight plan given to each drone, and each of the drones 100 takes off from a base (not shown) outside the farm field 403, It performs work such as spraying chemicals while flying over the area, and returns to the base when the work is completed or when it is necessary to recharge. Further, each of the drones 100 operates in manual operation mode according to a control signal transmitted from the operation terminal device 401. In the illustrated example, four drones 100 are provided in the unmanned aircraft control system, but the number of drones 100 may be five or more, or three or less.

In this embodiment, the control signals transmitted by the operation terminal device 401 include those intended for all the drones 100 and those intended for a specific one of the drones 100. The former control signal includes operation command information that instructs all drones 100 to perform operations. An example of the former control signal is a control signal related to an emergency stop or the like that is transmitted in response to, for example, a person entering the farm field 403. Furthermore, the latter control signal includes identification information of a specific target drone and operation command information that instructs the operation to be performed by the drone. For example, suppose that a control signal including identification information of the drone 100a is broadcasted from the operating terminal device 401. Among the four drones 100 that have received this control signal, the drone 100a determines that the control signal is addressed to its own device because the received control signal includes its own identification information.

An example of a control signal that includes identification information of a specific drone is a selection signal. The selection signal includes identification information of the drone 100 selected by the user 402 from among the four drones 100, and operation command information that instructs a light emitting unit (described later) included in the drone 100 to emit light. The drone that has received the selection signal including the identification information of its own device causes its light emitting unit to emit light to notify the user 402 that the drone is the selected drone.

The server 405 is typically composed of a group of computers and related software operated on a cloud service. This server 405 determines each individual flight plan indicating the flight route of each of the four drones 100 and the mode of flight along the flight route, and transmits each flight plan to the four drones 100. It has the function of giving.

Next, the configuration of the drone 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 6. In this specification, the term "drone" refers to all unmanned aircraft having multiple propellers, regardless of power means (electric power, prime mover, etc.) and control method (wireless, wired, etc.). In this embodiment, the four drones 100 have the same configuration.

Propellers 101-1a, 101-1b, 101-2a, 101-2b, 101-3a, 101-3b, 101-4a, 101-4b (also called rotors) (hereinafter it is necessary to distinguish between each of these propellers). If there is no propeller 101, it is a means for flying the drone 100. Considering the balance between flight stability, aircraft size, and battery consumption, eight aircraft (generally referred to as propellers 101) are equipped with two-stage propellers. 4 sets) are provided.

Motors 102-1a, 102-1b, 102-2a, 102-2b, 102-3a, 102-3b, 102-4a, 102-4b (hereinafter, if there is no need to distinguish between these motors, motor 102) is a means (typically an electric motor, but may also be a motor or the like) for rotating the propeller 101, and one motor 102 is provided for one propeller 101. Motor 102 is an example of a propulsion device. The upper and lower propellers (for example, propellers 101-1a and 101-1b) and the corresponding motors (for example, motors 102-1a and 102-1b) in one set are used to maintain flight stability of the drone 100, etc. Therefore, the axes are on the same line and rotate in opposite directions. Although the propeller 101-3b and the motor 102-3b are not shown, their positions are obvious and would be in the positions shown if there were a left side view. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the radial members for supporting the propeller guard provided to prevent the propeller 101 from interfering with foreign objects are not horizontal but have a tower-like structure. This is to encourage the member to buckle outward from the propeller 101 in the event of a collision, and to prevent it from interfering with the rotor.

The drug nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, and 103-4 (hereinafter collectively referred to as drug nozzles 103 unless it is necessary to distinguish between these drug nozzles) spray the drug downward. It is a means to do this, and there are four of them. Note that in the present specification, drugs generally refer to liquids or powders such as agricultural chemicals, herbicides, liquid fertilizers, insecticides, seeds, and water that are sprayed on the field 403.

The medicine tank 104 is a tank for storing the medicine to be sprayed, and is provided at a position close to and lower than the center of gravity of the drone 100 from the viewpoint of weight balance. Drug hoses 105-1, 105-2, 105-3, and 105-4 (hereinafter collectively referred to as drug hoses 105 when there is no need to distinguish between each of these drug hoses) connect the drug tank 104 and the four drugs. It is a means for connecting each nozzle 103, is made of a hard material, and may also serve the role of supporting the drug nozzle 103. Pump 106 is a means for discharging medicine from the nozzle.

The drone 100 in this embodiment includes eight light emitting units 111-1a, 111-1b, 111-2a, 111-2b, 111-3a, 111-3b, 111-4a and 111-4b (hereinafter referred to as , if there is no need to distinguish each of these light emitting parts, they are collectively referred to as light emitting parts 111). When the drone 100 receives a selection signal including its own identification information from the operation terminal device 401, the light emitting unit 111 provides a notification to inform the user 402 who operates the operation terminal device 401 of the fact of the reception. It functions as a means of notification. In this embodiment, these eight light emitting parts 111 are arranged above or below the eight motors 102 that rotate the eight propellers 101. More specifically, in the normal flight state of the drone 100, the motors 102-1a, 102-2a, 102-3a, and 102 drive the four propellers 101-1a, 101-2a, 101-3a, and 101-4a. -4a is located vertically upward, and motors 102-1b, 102-2b, 102-3b, and 102-4b that drive four propellers 101-1b, 101-2b, 101-3b, and 101-4b are vertically located. Located at the bottom of the direction. The light emitting parts 111-1a, 111-2a, 111-3a and 111-4a are arranged directly above the motors 102-1a, 102-2a, 102-3a and 102-4a in the vertical direction, respectively, and the light emitting parts 111- 1b, 111-2b, 111-3b and 111-4b are arranged directly below the motors 102-1b, 102-2b, 102-3b and 102-4b in the vertical direction, respectively. The reason why the light emitting sections 111 are provided at each of these positions is to make it easier for the user 402 who operates the operation terminal device 401 to visually recognize the light emitted from the light emitting sections 111 .

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the control functions of the drone 100. The data processing device 501 is a component that controls the entire drone, and specifically may be an embedded computer including a CPU, memory, related software, and the like. The data processing device 501 controls the flight of the drone 100 by controlling the rotation speed of each motor 102 via a control means such as ESC (Electronic Speed Control). The actual number of rotations of each motor 102 is fed back to the data processing device 501, so that it can be monitored to see if it is rotating normally. Alternatively, the propeller 101 may be provided with an optical sensor or the like so that the rotation of the propeller 101 is fed back to the data processing device 501.

The software used by the data processing device 501 can be rewritten for function expansion/change, problem correction, etc. through a storage medium or a communication means such as mobile communication or USB. In this case, protection is provided using encryption, checksums, electronic signatures, virus checking software, etc. to prevent rewriting by unauthorized software. Furthermore, a part of the calculation processing used for control by the data processing device 501 may be executed by another computer located on the operating terminal device 401, the server 405, or other locations. Since the data processing device 501 is highly important, some or all of its components may be duplicated.

The battery 502 is a means for supplying power to the data processing device 501 and other components of the drone 100, and may be rechargeable. The battery 502 is connected to the data processing device 501 via a power supply unit including a fuse or a circuit breaker. The battery 502 in this embodiment is a smart battery that has a function of transmitting its internal state (amount of stored electricity, cumulative usage time, etc.) to the data processing device 501 in addition to a power supply function.

The data processing device 501 can communicate with the operation terminal device 401 and the server 405 via the communication unit 503. In this embodiment, the communication unit 503 is placed in each of the plurality of drones 100 and serves as a receiving unit that receives control signals (including selection signals) from the operation terminal device 401. In this case, the communication may be encrypted to prevent unauthorized acts such as interception, impersonation, and hijacking of the device. As described above, the base station 404 has the function of an RTK-GPS base station. Therefore, by combining signals from the RTK base station and signals from GPS satellites, GPS modules 504-1, 504-2, and 504-3 (hereinafter referred to as GPS modules when there is no need to distinguish between each of these GPS modules) 504), it becomes possible to measure the absolute position of the drone 100 with an accuracy of about 2 centimeters. Since the GPS module 504 is highly important, it may be duplicated or multiplexed, and in order to cope with a failure of a specific GPS satellite, each redundant GPS module 504 may be configured to use a different satellite. It may be controlled.

The 6-axis gyro sensor 505 is a means for measuring the acceleration of the body of the drone 100 in three mutually orthogonal directions (and a means for calculating the speed by integrating the acceleration). The 6-axis gyro sensor 505 is a means for measuring changes in the attitude angle of the drone 100 in the three directions described above, that is, the angular velocity. The geomagnetic sensor 506 is a means for measuring the direction of the drone 100 by measuring geomagnetism. The atmospheric pressure sensor 507 is a means for measuring atmospheric pressure, and can also indirectly measure the altitude of the drone 100. The laser sensor 508 is a means for measuring the distance between the body of the drone 100 and the ground surface using reflection of laser light, and the laser light used is, for example, an IR (infrared) laser. The sonar 509 is a means for measuring the distance between the body of the drone 100 and the ground surface using reflection of sound waves such as ultrasonic waves. These sensors may be selected depending on the cost goals and performance requirements of the drone 100. Furthermore, a gyro sensor (angular velocity sensor) for measuring the inclination of the aircraft body, a wind sensor for measuring wind force, etc. may be added. Further, these sensors may be duplicated or multiplexed. If there are multiple sensors for the same purpose, the data processing device 501 may use only one of them, and if that sensor fails, it may switch to use an alternative sensor. . Alternatively, a plurality of sensors may be used simultaneously, and if the respective measurement results do not match, it may be determined that a failure has occurred.

The flow rate sensors 510 are means for measuring the flow rate of the medicine, and are provided at multiple locations along the route from the medicine tank 104 to the medicine nozzle 103. The liquid-out sensor 511 is a sensor that detects when the amount of medicine in the medicine tank 104 has fallen below a predetermined amount.

The visible light camera 512a, the first spectral camera 512b, and the second spectral camera 512c (hereinafter collectively referred to as cameras 512 when there is no need to distinguish between these cameras) are cameras for photographing agricultural products. It functions as a measuring means for measuring physical properties that indicate the condition of crops grown on farmland. Here, the visible light camera 512a captures all wavelength bands of sunlight reflected by agricultural products. Further, the first spectral camera 512b spectrally captures red light, for example, a component in a wavelength band around 680 nm, out of the sunlight reflected by agricultural products. Further, the second spectral camera 512c spectrally spectrally and photographs near-infrared light, for example, a component in a wavelength band around 780 nm, out of the sunlight reflected by agricultural products. In the drone 100, diagnosis regarding the disease of agricultural crops is performed based on images obtained from these cameras 512.

The obstacle detection camera 513 is a camera for detecting obstacles of the drone 100. The switch 514 is a means for the user 402 using the drone 100 to operate various settings. The obstacle contact sensor 515 is a sensor for detecting that the drone 100, particularly its rotor or propeller guard portion, has come into contact with an obstacle such as an electric wire, a building, a human body, a standing tree, a bird, or another drone. . The cover sensor 516 is a sensor that detects whether the operation panel or internal maintenance cover of the drone 100 is open. The drug inlet sensor 517 is a sensor that detects that the inlet of the drug tank 104 is in an open state. These sensors may be selected depending on the cost target and performance requirements of the drone 100, and may be duplicated or multiplexed. Alternatively, a sensor may be provided outside the drone 100 at the base station 404, the operation terminal device 401, or at another location, and the read information may be transmitted to the drone 100. For example, the base station 404 may be provided with a wind sensor, and information regarding wind force and wind direction may be transmitted from the base station 404 to the drone 100 via a mobile communication network.

The data processing device 501 transmits a control signal to the pump 106 to adjust the amount of medicine discharged and stop the medicine discharge. The current status of the pump 106 (eg, rotation speed, etc.) is configured to be fed back to the data processing device 501. The data processing device 501 also functions as a position measuring means for measuring the three-dimensional position of the drone 100 using a communication unit 503, a GPS module 504, a geomagnetic sensor 506, an atmospheric pressure sensor 507, a laser sensor 508, and a sonar 509. It is equipped with The data processing device 501 also uses each of the three cameras 512 to take an image based on the three-dimensional position of the drone 100 measured by the position measuring means and the attitude of the drone 100 measured by the six-axis gyro sensor 505. It has a function as a planting position specifying means for specifying the planting position (or area) of agricultural crops.

Each of the light emitting parts 111 is composed of an LED. The buzzer 518 is an output means for notifying the state of the drone 100 (for example, an error state) by an audio signal. The communication unit 519 is an optional component for communicating with a device other than the operating terminal device 401, such as an external computer with which to communicate for software transfer or the like. Instead of or in addition to the communication unit 519, other wireless communication means such as infrared communication, Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), NFC, or wired communication means such as USB connection are used. Good too. The speaker 520 is an output means that notifies the state of the drone 100 (for example, an error state) using a recorded human voice, a synthesized voice, or the like. Depending on the weather conditions, it may be difficult to see the visual display of the drone 100 during flight, so in such cases, it is effective to convey the situation by voice. The warning light 521 is a display means such as a strobe light that informs the state of the drone 100 (for example, an error state). These input/output means may be selected depending on the cost target and performance requirements of the drone 100, and may be duplicated or multiplexed.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the data processing device 501 of the drone 100. As shown in FIG. 8, the data processing device 501 includes a CPU 710 and a storage section 720 consisting of a nonvolatile memory and a volatile memory. The CPU 710 includes a communication processing section 711, an autonomous flight control section 712, and a manual flight control section 713. These functions are realized by the CPU 710 executing a program (not shown) in the storage unit 720.

The communication processing unit 711 is a means for communicating with the operation terminal device 401 through the communication unit 503 and controlling each section within the drone 100 based on a control signal received from the operation terminal device 401. The communication processing section 711 includes a light emission control section 714. This light emission control unit 714 controls the light emission of the drone 100 when the selection signal is received from the operation terminal device 401 by the communication unit 503 serving as a receiving means, and the selection signal includes identification information of the drone 100. This is a notification control means that causes the section 111 to emit light in a predetermined manner to issue a notification. Note that emitting light in a predetermined manner includes lighting in a predetermined color, blinking, and the like.

A flight plan 721 for the drone 100 is stored in the storage unit 720. This flight plan 721 is generated by the server 405 before the drone 100 starts flying, and is stored in the storage unit 720. The flight plan 721 includes information indicating a flight route over the field 403 on which the drone 100 should fly, and flight conditions at multiple positions along this flight route (flight speed or passing reference points on the flight route). time, etc.).

In the CPU 710, the autonomous flight control unit 712 is a means for causing the drone 100 to fly according to the flight plan 721 stored in the storage unit 720 and spraying chemicals such as agricultural chemicals. The manual operation control unit 713 is a means for controlling the operation of the drone 100 according to a control signal received from the operation terminal device 401 by the communication processing unit 711. According to the control signal received from the operation terminal device 401, the communication processing unit 711 activates the autonomous flight control unit 712 to set the operation mode of the drone 100 to the autonomous flight mode, or activates the manual flight control unit 713 to set the operation mode of the drone 100 to the autonomous flight mode. The operation mode of the drone 100 is set to manual operation mode. In the manual operation mode, the communication processing unit 711 passes the control signal received from the operation terminal device 401 to the manual operation control unit 713. In this embodiment, even in the autonomous flight mode, a control signal including operation command information instructing various operations may be received from the operation terminal device 401. In that case, the communication processing section 711 passes the received control information to the manual operation control section 713.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the operating terminal device 401. Note that, in order to make the functions of the operating terminal device 401 easier to understand, FIG. 9 shows the operating terminal device 401 as well as the drones 100a, 100b, 100c, and 100d.

As shown in FIG. 9, the operation terminal device 401 includes a CPU 810 that controls the whole, a storage unit 820 that stores programs and data, a communication unit 830 that communicates with a communication partner such as the drone 100, and a touch panel 840. include. The storage unit 820 includes nonvolatile memory and volatile memory. The touch panel 840 includes a display section 841 made of a liquid crystal display panel or the like, and an operation section 842 made of a two-dimensional touch sensor provided on the display section 841. In this embodiment, the display section 841 of the touch panel 840 functions as a display means for displaying a plurality of icons (an example of display objects) corresponding to each of the four drones 100.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the CPU 810. Note that, in order to make the functional configuration of the CPU 810 easier to understand, various data stored in the storage section 820 are shown together with the CPU 810 in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 10, the storage unit 820 stores a drone table 821 and a drone map 822. Here, the drone table 821 is a table in which two-dimensional position information of each drone 100 in the field 403 is associated with identification information of each of the four drones 100. Two-dimensional position information is information indicating the projected position of each drone 100 flying above the field 403 onto the field 403, that is, the two-dimensional position included in the three-dimensional position information (latitude, longitude, altitude) of the drone 100. Information (latitude, longitude). The drone map 822 is image data obtained by mapping the two-dimensional position information of each drone shown in the drone table 821 to the map data of the farm field 403.

As shown in FIG. 10, the CPU 810 includes a communication processing section 811, a map generation section 812, and a drone control section 813. These functions are realized by the CPU 810 executing a program (not shown) in the storage unit 820.

The communication processing unit 811 is a means for communicating with a communication partner such as the drone 100 using the communication unit 830. The communication processing section 811 includes a control signal transmitting section 814. This control signal transmitter 814 is a transmitter that transmits a control signal that targets all four drones 100 or a control signal that targets a specific drone among the four drones 100 from the communication unit 830. be. The former control signal includes operation command information that instructs all drones 100 to perform operations. The latter control signal includes identification information of the destination drone and operation command information that instructs the drone to perform an operation.

The map generation unit 812 generates a map based on the position information (latitude, longitude, altitude) of each drone 100 received from each drone 100 by the communication processing unit 811 while each of the four drones 100 is flying autonomously. , is means for updating the drone table 821 in the storage unit 820 and updating the location of each drone 100 in the drone map 822 based on this drone table 821.

The drone control unit 813 functions as an operation receiving unit that receives operations on the operation unit 842 of the touch panel 840. The drone control unit 813 generates a control signal for all four drones 100 or a control signal for a specific drone 100 according to the operation on the operation unit 842, and transmits the control signal from the communication processing unit 811. Hand over to Department 814.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the operation terminal device 401 when an unexpected person enters the field 403 while the four drones 100 are simultaneously flying autonomously. The operation of this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG.

While the four drones 100 are flying autonomously, position information indicating the three-dimensional position (latitude, longitude, altitude) of each drone 100 is continuously transmitted from each drone 100 to the operation terminal device 401. . In the operation terminal device 401, the map generation unit 812 updates the drone table 821 based on the three-dimensional position information received from each drone 100 by the communication processing unit 811, and creates a drone map based on the updated drone table 821. 822 is updated. Then, the map generation unit 812 displays the drone map 822 on the touch panel 840 (step S1). FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating the display screen of the touch panel 840 at this time. As shown in FIG. 12, while each drone 100 is autonomously flying above the farm field 403, the two-dimensional positions of the drones 100a, 100b, 100c, and 100d (the two-dimensional positions of each drone 100 projected onto the farm field 403) are displayed on the touch panel 840. Icons IC1, IC2, IC3, and IC4 corresponding to the position) are displayed. Additionally, an emergency stop button 901 is displayed on the touch panel 840. While no touch operation is performed on the emergency stop button 901, the result of determining whether an emergency stop instruction has been given (step S2) is "NO", and the map generation unit 812 continues to display the drone map 822. do.

When a person enters the field 403, the user 402 notices this and performs a touch operation (an example of a hovering instruction) on the emergency stop button 901 displayed on the touch panel 840. As a result, the determination result in step S2 becomes "YES", and the drone control unit 813 of the operation terminal device 401 generates a control signal instructing all drones 100 to hover and stop spraying, and the communication processing unit 811 hand over to. The control signal transmitting unit 814 of the communication processing unit 811 transmits this control signal from the communication unit 830 (step S3).

This control signal is received by each of the four drones 100. The communication processing unit 711 of each drone 100 passes the received control signal to the manual operation control unit 713. If the drone 100 is spraying agricultural chemicals, the manual operation control unit 713 stops the spraying. Further, the manual operation control unit 713 stops the movement of the drone 100 and makes it wait in a hovering state.

When the process of step S3 is completed, the drone control unit 813 of the operation terminal device 401 determines whether any of the icons IC1 to IC4 has been selected (step S4). While the user 402 does not perform a touch operation on the icons IC1 to IC4, the determination result in step S4 is "NO", and the drone control unit 813 repeats the determination in step S4.

When the user 402 selects one of the icons IC1 to IC4 and performs a touch operation on the selected icon, the determination result in step S4 becomes "YES". In this case, the drone control unit 813 displays the icon selected by the user 402 among the icons IC1 to IC4 in a highlighted manner (an example of a display mode different from other icons) (step S5).

Next, the drone control unit 813 refers to the drone table 821 to obtain identification information of the drone 100 located at the two-dimensional position within the field 403 corresponding to the position of the icon selected by the user 402. Then, the drone control unit 813 generates a selection signal including this identification information and delivers it to the communication processing unit 811. The control signal transmitting section 814 of the communication processing section 811 transmits this selection signal from the communication section 830 (step S6).

This selection signal is received by each of the four drones 100. In each drone 100, the communication processing unit 711 determines whether the received selection signal includes identification information of the drone 100. If the selection signal includes the identification information of the drone 100, the light emission control section 714 of the drone 100 causes the light emitting section 111 to emit light in a predetermined manner.

When the processes of steps S5 and S6 are completed, the display screen of touch panel 840 becomes the screen illustrated in FIG. 13. In this example, the icon IC3 is selected by the user 402, and the icon IC3 is highlighted in step S5. Further, at this stage, a menu 902 including one or more operations that can be executed by the drone 100c corresponding to the icon IC3 selected by the user 402 is displayed on the touch panel 840. In a preferred embodiment, the drone control unit 813 displays the menu 902 in a position that does not obstruct the visual recognition of the icon IC3 selected by the user 402. Items 1 to 4 included in the menu 902 are items related to operations to be performed by the drone 100 corresponding to the uncontractor selected by the user 402. Item 5, "Select another drone," is an item selected when the user 402 wants to instruct a drone 100 other than the currently selected drone 100 to operate. Additionally, the drone control unit 813 displays an end button 903 on the touch panel 840. This end button 903 is a button that is operated when all necessary operation instructions for the drone 100 have been completed.

By executing step S6, the drone 100c corresponding to the icon IC3 selected by the user 402 causes the light emitting unit 111 to emit light in a predetermined manner. The user 402 compares the drone 100 whose light emitting unit 111 is emitting light with the icon IC3 highlighted on the touch panel 840, and determines whether the intended drone 100 is selected (step S7). If the user 402 determines that the intended drone 100 is selected, the user 402 selects one of items 1 to 4 in the menu 902, and if the user 402 determines that the intended drone 100 is not selected, select item 5.

When the user 402 selects item 5 of the menu 902, the determination result in step S7 as to whether or not the selection is OK is "NO". In this case, the operation terminal device 401 returns the process to step S4, returns the display state of the touch panel 840 to the display state shown in FIG. 12, and causes the user 402 to select the icons IC1 to IC4 again.

If the user 402 selects any one of items 1 to 4 on the menu 902, the determination result in step S7 is "YES". In this case, the drone control unit 813 generates a control signal including identification information of the drone 100 corresponding to the icon selected in step S4 and operation command information instructing an operation corresponding to the item selected in step S7. and passes it to the communication processing unit 811. The control signal transmitting section 814 of the communication processing section 811 transmits this control signal from the communication section 830 (step S8).

More specifically, if, for example, item 1 is selected in step S7, in step S8 the drone control unit 813 sends the drone 100 identification information corresponding to the icon selected in step S4 and the drone 100 to return to the base and land. A control signal including operation command information for instructing an operation is generated and delivered to the communication processing unit 811. The control signal transmitting section 814 of the communication processing section 811 transmits this control signal from the communication section 830.

This control signal is received by each of the four drones 100. In each drone 100, the communication processing unit 711 determines whether the received control signal includes identification information of the drone 100. If the control signal includes the identification information of the drone 100, the communication processing unit 711 determines the destination of the operation command information based on the content of the operation command information included in the control signal. In this case, the communication processing unit 711 passes the operation command information to the autonomous flight control unit 712. The autonomous flight control unit 712 returns the drone 100 to the base and lands in accordance with the operation command information.

While the autonomous flight control unit 712 operates the drone 100 according to the operation command information, in the communication processing unit 711, the light emission control unit 714 causes the light emission unit 111 to continuously emit light. During this time, the communication processing unit 711 continuously transmits an execution notification signal to the operation terminal device 401 indicating that the operation specified by the operation command information is being executed. In the operation terminal device 401, while this execution notification signal is received by the communication processing unit 811, the drone control unit 813 selects the item selected in step S7 from among the items of the menu 902 displayed on the touch panel 840, that is, Highlight the running item. FIG. 14 shows a display example of the menu 902 in this case. In this example, since item 1 was selected in step S7, the words "1. Return to base and land" are highlighted.

Further, when the autonomous flight control unit 712 completes controlling the operation of the drone 100 based on the operation command information, in the communication processing unit 711, the light emission control unit 714 stops the light emission of the light emission unit 111. Further, when the operation of the drone 100 based on the operation command information is completed, the communication processing unit 711 transmits a completion notification signal indicating the completion of the operation to the operation terminal device 401. When this completion notification signal is received by the communication processing unit 811 in the operation terminal device 401, the drone control unit 813 selects the item to the left of the item selected in step S7 among the items of the menu 902 displayed on the touch panel 840. Display text or an image to indicate "Complete". FIG. 15 shows a display example of the menu 902 in this case. In this example, since item 1 was selected in step S7, the words "Complete" are displayed to the left of the words "1. Return to base and land."

When item 2 is selected in step S7, in step S8, the drone control unit 813 selects the identification information of the drone 100 corresponding to the icon selected in step S4, and operation command information instructing the operation to land on the spot. A control signal including the following is generated and delivered to the communication processing unit 811. The control signal transmitting section 814 of the communication processing section 811 transmits this control signal from the communication section 830.

This control signal is received by each of the four drones 100. In each drone 100, the communication processing unit 711 determines whether the received control signal includes identification information of the drone 100. If the control signal includes the identification information of the drone 100, the communication processing unit 711 determines the destination of the operation command information based on the content of the operation command information included in the control signal. In this case, the communication processing unit 711 passes the operation command information to the autonomous flight control unit 712. The autonomous flight control unit 712 causes the drone 100 to land on the spot according to the operation command information.

The operation related to the transmission of the execution notification signal and the execution completion signal by the drone 100 and the operation of the operation terminal device 401 related to the reception of the execution notification signal and the execution completion signal are performed in the same manner as when item 1 is selected. Further, this point also applies to the cases where the other three items are selected.

If item 3 is selected in step S7, in step S8 the drone control unit 813 sends identification information of the drone 100 corresponding to the icon selected in step S4 and operation command information instructing to stop the motor 102. A control signal including the control signal is generated and delivered to the communication processing unit 811. The control signal transmitting section 814 of the communication processing section 811 transmits this control signal from the communication section 830.

This control signal is received by each of the four drones 100. In each drone 100, the communication processing unit 711 determines whether the received control signal includes identification information of the drone 100. If the control signal includes the identification information of the drone 100, the communication processing unit 711 determines the destination of the operation command information based on the content of the operation command information included in the control signal. In this case, the communication processing unit 711 passes the operation command information to the autonomous flight control unit 712. The autonomous flight control unit 712 stops all motors 102 of the drone 100 in accordance with the operation command information. This causes the drone 100 to fall.

Further, when item 4 is selected in step S7, in step S8, the drone control unit 813 provides identification information of the drone 100 corresponding to the icon selected in step S4, and an operation to instruct switching to manual operation mode. A control signal including command information is generated and delivered to the communication processing unit 811. The control signal transmitting section 814 of the communication processing section 811 transmits this control signal from the communication section 830.

This control signal is received by each of the four drones 100. In each drone 100, the communication processing unit 711 determines whether the received control signal includes identification information of the drone 100. If the control signal includes the identification information of the drone 100, the communication processing unit 711 determines the destination of the operation command information based on the content of the operation command information included in the control signal. In this case, the communication processing section 711 activates the manual operation control section 713 and passes the operation command information to the manual operation control section 713. As a result, the operation mode of the drone 100 becomes the manual operation mode.

When switching one of the drones 100 to the manual operation mode in step S8, the drone control unit 813 displays a manual operation mode screen on the touch panel 840. FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating this manual operation mode screen. As shown in FIG. 16, the manual operation mode screen displays buttons for instructing the drone 100 to perform various operations such as forward, backward, right turn, left turn, etc. The drone control unit 813 receives operation instructions from the touch panel 840 by touching these buttons, and transmits a control signal corresponding to the operation instruction to the drone 100. This control signal includes operation command information corresponding to the operation instruction and identification information of the destination drone 100.

This control signal is received by each of the four drones 100. The communication processing unit 711 of the drone 100 identified by the identification information included in the control signal among these drones 100 passes the operation command information included in the control signal to the manual operation control unit 713. The manual operation control unit 713 operates the drone 100 according to this operation command information. In this way, manual operation control of the drone 100 is performed to ensure the safety of those who have entered the field 403. While this manual operation is performed, the light emission control unit 714 of the drone 100 that is the target of manual operation causes the light emission unit 111 to continuously emit light.

In the operation terminal device 401, a switch button 904 to autonomous flight mode is displayed on the manual operation mode screen of the touch panel 840. When the user 402 performs a touch operation on the autonomous flight mode switching button 904, the drone control unit 813 instructs the drone 100, which is subject to manual operation, to switch its operation mode to the autonomous flight mode. A control signal is transmitted to the drone 100. As a result, the operation mode of the drone 100 becomes autonomous flight mode. In this case, in the operation terminal device 401, the drone control unit 813 returns the display state of the touch panel 840 to the display state shown in FIG. " is displayed.

In the display state shown in FIG. 13, the user 402 performs a touch operation on "5. Select another drone" on the menu 902, if necessary. As a result, the drone control unit 813 displays a map of each drone 100 as illustrated in FIG. 12 on the touch panel 840 based on the latest position information of each drone 100, and accepts a new selection of the drone 100. In this case, the above-described process is executed regarding the newly selected drone 100.

In the display state shown in FIG. 13, when the user 402 performs a touch operation on the end button 903, the drone control unit 813 ends the series of processes shown in FIG. 11 and returns to the state before the emergency stop button 901 was instructed. return.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the control signal transmitting unit 814 of the operation terminal device 401 transmits a selection signal including identification information of the drone 100 selected by the user 402, and transmits a selection signal to each drone 100 that has received the selection signal. Among them, the light emission control unit 714 of the drone 100 identified by the identification information included in the selection signal causes the light emission unit 111 provided in the drone 100 to emit light. Therefore, the user 402 can easily select a drone 100 to perform irregular autonomous flight such as returning to a base or a drone 100 to be manually operated from among the plurality of autonomously flying drones 100. .

<Second embodiment>
FIG. 17 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an unmanned aircraft control system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Note that in FIG. 17, the same parts as those shown in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and the explanation thereof will be omitted. In this embodiment, the drones 100a, 100b, 100c, and 100d in the first embodiment are the drones 1000a, 1000b, 1000c, and 1000d (hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between these drones, they are collectively referred to as drones 1000). ), the operating terminal device 401 is also replaced with an operating terminal device 4001. Note that in FIG. 17, illustration of other elements provided in the first embodiment, such as a server, is omitted.

As in the first embodiment, the operation terminal device 4001 includes a CPU 810, a storage section 820, a communication section 830, and a touch panel 840. As in the first embodiment, the touch panel 840 functions as a display means for displaying icons corresponding to each of the plurality of drones 1000. Further, similar to the first embodiment described above, this display means displays a menu including one or more operations that the drone 1000 can perform.

In this embodiment, the operation terminal device 4001 includes a wave transmitting unit 850 that transmits a light beam (an example of a directional radio wave or light) in a direction aimed at by the user 402. Further, each of the drones 1000 includes a wave receiving unit 530 that receives the light beam transmitted from the wave transmitting unit 850 of the operation terminal device 4001. The wave transmitting unit 850 of the operating terminal device 4001 is, for example, a laser irradiator connected to the operating terminal device 4001. In this case, the user 402 adjusts the attitude of the laser irradiator so that the laser beam irradiated from the laser irradiator is directed toward the target drone 1000.

When a person or a vehicle enters a field, the operation of causing each of the drones 1000 to emergency stop all at once and hovering is the same as in the first embodiment.

In the first embodiment, after the emergency stop and hovering are completed, the user 402 selects the target drone 100 to instruct the execution of the specified operation by touching the icon displayed on the operation terminal device 401. . On the other hand, in this embodiment, the user 402 transmits a light beam from the wave transmitting unit 850 aiming at the drone 1000 selected from among the four drones 1000. The light beam transmitted from the wave transmitting section 850 is received by the wave receiving section 530 of the drone 1000 selected by the user 402.

When the wave receiving unit 530 receives the light beam, the light emission control unit 714 (see FIG. 8) of the drone 1000 causes the light emission unit 111 to emit light. Further, the communication processing unit 711 (see FIG. 8) of the drone 1000 transmits a selection signal indicating that the drone 1000 has been selected. The selection signal includes identification information of the drone 1000. The operating terminal device 4001 receives the selection signal and recognizes the drone 1000 selected by the user 402 based on the identification information included in the received selection signal. After that, the operation terminal device 4001 highlights the icon corresponding to the selected drone 1000. Then, the drone control unit 813 (see FIG. 8) displays a selection menu including one or more operations that the drone 1000 can perform.
The subsequent operations are similar to those in the first embodiment.
In this embodiment as well, the same effects as in the first embodiment described above can be obtained.

<Modified example>
Although the first and second embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention may be modified in various ways. Examples of those modifications are shown below.

(1) In the above-described embodiment, the drone 100 includes a light emitting unit 111 that emits light to notify the user 402 that the drone 100 has recognized that its own device has been selected. The form in which the notification means provides notification is not limited to light emission. For example, in addition to or in place of the light emitting unit 111, the drone 100 may include a display unit that provides notification by displaying characters. Note that "characters" herein refer to characters in a broad sense, including hiragana, katakana, kanji, alphabets, and the like, as well as numbers, symbols, and the like. Further, in addition to or in place of the light emitting unit 111, the drone 100 may include a sound generating unit that provides notification by emitting sound.

(2) For example, after all the drones start hovering in response to the touch of the emergency stop button 901, until any drone is selected by the user, the operation terminal device selects the multiple drones 100 in a predetermined order. The selection signal may be sequentially transmitted to the selected terminals.

According to this modification, the highlighted icons displayed on the operation terminal device are sequentially changed, and the drones corresponding to the highlighted icons sequentially emit light. Therefore, the user can easily know the correspondence between the icons and the drone, and the probability of touching the wrong icon is reduced.

(3) When all drones are brought to an emergency stop due to the entry of a person or vehicle, a drone located near the area where the person or vehicle entered will take a picture of the area and send the image of the area to the operation terminal device. It may also be displayed on the touch panel. According to this modification, it is possible to take more appropriate measures against people and vehicles that have entered the area.

(4) In the first embodiment described above, the operation terminal device 401 transmits a control signal (including a selection signal) to the drone 100 by broadcast transmission. Alternatively, a configuration may be adopted in which the operation terminal device 401 establishes a communication connection with the drone 100 to which the control signal is directed, and transmits the control signal only to the drone 100 to which the control signal is directed via the communication connection. good. In this modification, since the communication partner is specified in advance by the communication connection, the identification information of the destination drone 100 does not need to be included in the transmitted control signal. Furthermore, the drone 100 that has received the control signal does not need to determine whether or not the received control signal includes identification information of its own device.

(5) In the first embodiment described above, each device (operation terminal device 401, drone 100, server 405, etc.) directly communicates with each other via a network such as a mobile communication network. Any type of network may be used for communication by these devices. For example, the base station 404 may also serve as a WiFi base station, and communication between the operation terminal device 401 and each drone 100 may be performed via the base station 404.

(6) In the description of the above embodiment, when the user 402 performs a touch operation on the emergency stop button 901 displayed on the operation terminal device 401 (or 4001) in response to a person entering the field 403, the operation terminal The device 401 transmits control signals instructing hovering to all of the plurality of flying drones 100, and all the flying drones 100 start hovering in response to these control signals. Instead, when a touch operation is performed on the emergency stop button 901, the operation terminal device 401 transmits a control signal instructing hovering to only some of the plurality of flying drones 100. You may.

For example, each of the plurality of drones 100 flying over the field 403 to perform work such as spraying pesticides takes off from a base outside the field 403 and flies toward the sky above the field 403 before starting the work. Furthermore, after completing their work, the drones 100 fly toward the base from above the field 403 and then land at the base. In addition, during work, these drones 100 temporarily return to the base for purposes such as replacing the battery 502 and replenishing the drug tank 104 with drugs, and then head to the sky above the field 403 again. When taking off from and landing on these bases, the drone 100 flies above the field 403.

Therefore, for example, when a touch operation is performed on the emergency stop button 901, the operation terminal device 401 may transmit a control signal instructing only the drone 100 flying above the field 403 to hover. Alternatively, when a touch operation is performed on the emergency stop button 901, the operation terminal device 401 may transmit a control signal instructing hovering only to the drone 100 flying above the field 403.

Note that the operation terminal device 401 can determine whether each drone 100 is currently flying over the field 403 based on a drone map 822 that is updated based on position information of the drone 100 that is continuously transmitted from each drone 100, for example. It can be determined whether the vehicle is flying over the field 403 or outside the field 403.

When a touch operation is performed on the emergency stop button 901, if a control signal instructing hovering is sent only to the drone 100 that is flying over the field 403, the drone 100 that was flying over the field 403 starts hovering and stops its work, but the drone 100 that was flying above the field 403 continues to fly from the field 403 to the base or from the base to the field 403.

Furthermore, when a touch operation is performed on the emergency stop button 901, if a control signal instructing hovering is sent only to the drone 100 that is flying above the field 403, if the drone 100 is flying above the field 403, The drone 100 continues to fly and work, but the drone 100 that was flying above the field 403 starts hovering.

Furthermore, when a touch operation is performed on the emergency stop button 901, a control signal instructing the drone 100 to hover toward the base among the drones 100 flying above the field 403 is not sent to the base. A configuration may be adopted in which a control signal instructing hovering is transmitted to the drone 100 heading towards the field 403 from the drone 100 .

Note that, for example, the operation terminal device 401 determines which of the drones 100 flying above the field 403 is located from the field 403 to the base based on the change over time of the position of the drone 100 shown in the continuously updated drone map 822. It is possible to determine which drones 100 are headed toward the field 403 and which drones 100 are headed toward the field 403 from the base.

(7) In the above-described embodiment, the notification means exemplified by the light emitting unit 111 is arranged above or below the motor 102. The position where the notification means is arranged is not limited to this. For example, the notification means may be arranged on the side of the motor 102 (for example, on the side, the outer part of the drone 100 when viewed from the main body where the drug tank 104 and the like are arranged).

401, 4001... Operation terminal device, 402... User, 403... Field, 404... Base station, 405... Server, 406... Base, 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d, 1000a, 1000b, 1000c, 1000d ... Drone, 101 ... Propeller, 501 ... Data processing device, 503, 519 ... Communication department, 504-1, 504-2, 504-3 ... GPS module, 505 ... 6-axis gyro sensor, 506 ... ... Geomagnetic sensor, 507 ... Barometric pressure sensor, 508 ... Laser sensor, 509 ... Sonar, 510 ... Flow rate sensor, 511 ... Liquid drain sensor, 512a ... Visible light camera, 512b ... First spectrum camera, 512c ... Second spectrum camera, 513 ... Obstacle detection camera, 514 ... Switch, 515 ... Obstacle contact sensor, 516 ... Cover sensor, 517 ... Drug inlet sensor, 102-1a, 102-1b, 102-2a, 102-2b, 102-3a, 102-3b, 102-4a, 102-4b...Motor, 106...Pump, 111...Light emitting section, 518...Buzzer, 520...Speaker, 521... ...Warning light, 710,810...CPU, 720,820...Storage unit, 830...Communication unit, 840...Touch panel, 841...Display unit, 842...Operation unit, 721...Flight plan, 711, 811...Communication processing unit, 712...Autonomous flight control unit, 713...Manual operation control unit, 714...Light emission control unit, 821...Drone table, 822...Drone map, 812...Map generation unit, 813 ... Drone control section, 814 ... Control signal transmission section, 850 ... Wave transmission section, 530 ... Wave reception section.

Claims (13)

An unmanned aircraft control system comprising a plurality of unmanned aircraft that fly simultaneously over a target area and an operation terminal device,
The operation terminal device is
Display means for displaying a drone map in which position information of the unmanned aerial vehicle is mapped against map data of the field;
In the drone map, a reception means for accepting selection of an unmanned aircraft from among the plurality of unmanned aircraft;
Transmitting means for transmitting a selection signal to an unmanned aircraft selected from the plurality of unmanned aircraft,
Each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles is
receiving means for receiving the selection signal;
Notification means that provides notification by at least one of emitting light, displaying characters, and pronunciation of sounds;
Notification control means for causing the notifying means to make a notification when the receiving means receives the selection signal,
Unmanned aircraft control system.
An unmanned aircraft control system comprising a plurality of unmanned aircraft that fly simultaneously over a target area and an operation terminal device ,
The operation terminal device is
Display means for displaying a drone map in which position information of the unmanned aerial vehicle is mapped against map data of the field;
In the drone map, a reception means for accepting selection of an unmanned aircraft from among the plurality of unmanned aircraft;
Transmitting means for transmitting a selection signal indicating an unmanned aircraft selected from the plurality of unmanned aircraft,
Each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles is
receiving means for receiving the selection signal;
Notification means that provides notification by at least one of emitting light, displaying characters, and pronunciation of sounds;
notification control means for causing the notification means to issue a notification when the receiving means receives the selection signal including identification information of the unmanned aircraft equipped with the receiving means;
Unmanned aircraft control system.
In the drone map, the plurality of unmanned aircraft are mapped by icons,
When the selection of the unmanned aircraft is accepted using the icon, the display means displays the selected icon in a manner different from other icons.
The unmanned aircraft control system according to claim 1 or 2.
The display means displays, on the drone map, a menu including operations executable by the selected unmanned aircraft at a position that does not obstruct visibility of an icon indicating the selected unmanned aircraft.
The unmanned aircraft control system according to claim 3.
The menu includes an item for returning to the selection operation of another unmanned aircraft when the unmanned aircraft selected by the icon is different from the unmanned aircraft intended by the user.
The unmanned aircraft control system according to claim 4.
The items included in the menu display information or identification effects according to the execution status of the selected unmanned aircraft.
The unmanned aircraft control system according to claim 4 or 5.
The transmitting means sequentially transmits the selection signal to the plurality of unmanned aircraft in a predetermined order.
An unmanned aircraft control system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
Equipped with an operation reception means for accepting an operation of a hovering instruction,
The transmitting means transmits a control signal instructing all or some of the plurality of unmanned aircraft in flight to hover when the operation receiving means receives the operation.
An unmanned aircraft control system according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
Each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles not only flies above the target area, but also flies above the target area when landing or taking off,
The transmitting means transmits a control signal instructing hovering only to the unmanned aircraft flying above the target area when the operation accepting means receives the operation.
The unmanned aircraft control system according to claim 8.
Each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles not only flies above the target area, but also flies above the target area when landing or taking off,
The transmitting means transmits a control signal instructing hovering only to the unmanned aircraft flying above the target area when the operation accepting means receives the operation.
The unmanned aircraft control system according to claim 8.
The notification means is disposed at the upper part, lower part, or side part of a motor that rotates a propeller of an unmanned aircraft equipped with the own device,
An unmanned aircraft control system according to any one of claims 1 to 10 .
A method executed in an unmanned aircraft control system comprising a plurality of unmanned aircraft flying simultaneously over a target area and an operation terminal device, the method comprising:
The operation terminal device is
In a drone map in which position information of the unmanned aerial vehicle is mapped to map data of a field, accepting a selection of an unmanned aerial vehicle from among the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles;
transmitting a selection signal to an unmanned aircraft selected from the plurality of unmanned aircraft;
Each of the multiple unmanned aircraft flying over the target area at the same time
receiving the selection signal;
performing at least one of emitting light, displaying characters, and pronouncing sounds in a predetermined manner when the selection signal is received;
Unmanned aircraft control method.
A method executed in an unmanned aircraft control system comprising a plurality of unmanned aircraft flying simultaneously over a target area and an operation terminal device, the method comprising:
The operation terminal device is
In a drone map in which position information of the unmanned aerial vehicle is mapped to map data of a field, accepting a selection of an unmanned aerial vehicle from among the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles;
transmitting a selection signal indicating an unmanned aircraft selected from the plurality of unmanned aircraft;
Each of the multiple unmanned aircraft flying over the target area at the same time
receiving a selection signal indicating one of the unmanned aerial vehicles selected from the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles;
when the selection signal indicates selection of the own device, performing at least one of emitting light, displaying characters, and producing sounds in a predetermined manner;
Unmanned aircraft control method.

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